Blotter: Cops nab five for alleged DWI

Southold police responded to 59 incidents during the week from Sept. 14 to Sept. 21, including the following:

• A call came in Sept. 15 about 7:20 a.m. from Peconic Landing in Greenport, reporting that several employees had observed a car driving erratically on campus, which had knocked over a speed limit sign there and then struck two parked, unoccupied vehicles. Responding officers subsequently located the vehicle parked on the grass along Manhanset Avenue. Upon their arrival, the driver, identified as 39-year-old John Bunn of Orient, exited the vehicle and stumbled. He was observed to have slurred speech and be unsteady on his feet, and performed poorly on field sobriety tests. He admitted to having taken several medications that morning. Review of video footage from Peconic Landing, showed his vehicle hitting the signpost and both cars. Mr. Bunn was then arrested and taken to Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital where he consented to a blood test, after which he was taken to police headquarters for processing.
• A Mattituck woman called police Sept. 14 to report an ongoing issue with her neighbor, by whom she feels threatened and who she believed was recording her that day. She stated that he has an issue with her dog urinating on his lawn, although his dog does the same on her lawn and she doesn’t care. Responding officers advised both parties to keep their dogs off each other’s properties.
• Police were called to 52810 North Road in Southold Sept. 15 on a burglary report. A trustee of the location showed officers a rear basement door that had previously been broken into and a broken window. Inside the premises, multiple file cabinets had been opened and rummaged through, but the trustee didn’t think anything was missing from them. However, she did say that a large gold cross had been taken from the wall. Detectives were notified and responded.
• A 32-year-old Cutchogue woman called police Sept. 15 asking to document a vehicle that appeared to be following her while she was walking in the neighborhood with her children. She said this has occurred numerous times previously but not been reported. The police report indicated there have been similar reports from other women about the same vehicle/owner. The complainant also said the man would often drive by her residence and every time would “make an obvious effort” to look into her yard. She was advised o call police again when she was being actively followed. Detectives were notified.
• The manager of the Menhaden Hotel in Greenport summoned officers around 3 p.m. Sept. 15, reporting a customer driving in the area while behaving erratically and throwing things out the window of her vehicle. Responding officers located the vehicle and identified the driver as 55-year-old Melanie Lavelle of Brooklyn. She was found to be intoxicated and was taken to police headquarters and held for arraignment. Her car was safely secured along Third Street.
• Police reported to San Simeon by the Sound in Greenport Sept. 16 after an employee called to document that a co-worker there had “shoved” her. The co-worker, when interviewed by an officer, denied having done any shoving. The women were instructed not to enter or be in the same room at the same time while completing assigned tasks. San Simeon management said it would investigate the matter internally to see if disciplinary action is warranted.
• About 6:15 p.m. Sept. 17, police headquarters receive a report of a vehicle traveling very slowly on Main Road in Peconic with the driver “unconscious” behind the wheel. Responding units located the vehicle on the north shoulder of the road, running with the keys in the ignition. The driver, identified as Richard Parks of Laurel, 43, stated “in sum and substance” that he had consumed marijuana and alcohol earlier in the day. He consented to, and performed poorly on, field sobriety tests, and was then arrested and taken to SBELIH, where he refused a blood kit. He was later transported to police headquarters for processing and held for arraignment.
• An officer on regular patrol observed a vehicle with modified exhaust failing to maintain its lane on Main Road in Jamesport about 2:30 a.m. on Sept 18. After initiating a traffic stop, the officer identified the driver Armando Chua Sandoval of Riverhead, 41, and found him to be intoxicated by alcohol. His vehicle was seized and towed to impound and Mr. Chua Sandoval was processed and held at headquarters for arraignment.
• A Greenport man called police Sept. 19 to report people crabbing illegally on Pipes Neck Road. Responding officers encountered a Southold woman who said her husband and a friend were crabbing and that a group of men, one of whom appeared to be carrying a hammer, began shouting at her, asking to see her license and “check her crabs.” Police then spoke with the caller, who said they went down to check that the group weren’t crabbing illegally and had the proper parking permits. He also said no one had a hammer. Police informed him that he had no right to check crabs or interfere with crabbing, and assured the crabbers that they were doing nothing wrong.
• An officer on patrol just after midnight Sept. 20 initiated a traffic stop after observing a vehicle with “an inadequate passenger side headlight” following another vehicle too closely on Main Road in Laurel. The officer found the driver, Lavain Creighton of Southold, 23, to be intoxicated by alcohol and placed him under arrest. Mr. Creighton was processed and held at STPD headquarters. His vehicle as secured on the shoulder of the roadway.

Those who are named in police reports have not been convicted of any crime or violation. The charges against them may later be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found innocent.